Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.
.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

24 CHRISTCHURCH MAIL, MARCH 19, 2015 FEATURE Wake up and show an act of kindness By SARAH MOORE Several inspiring slogans are stencilled across the walls of the office where I work. My favourite is: ‘‘Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind, always.’’ We often talk about the import- ance of kindness, and every day on Neighbourly we see heartwarming examples of neighbours being kind and compassionate to one another. It’s fair to say there’s a bit of a kindness revolution underway and charitable organisations such as the Wakeup Project and New Zealand’s own Givealittle are helping drive it. I followed the Wake Up Project on Facebook some time ago – but it was their Kindness Cards that really captured my attention. The Wake Up Project launched these pretty little cards as a way to inspire and encourage, quite simply, acts of kindness. It could be buying a coffee for the next person in line, mowing a neighbour’s lawn or berm, topping up an Backyard banter neighbourly.co.nz empty parking meter, or leaving your favourite book in a public place for someone else to enjoy. Do something nice and leave the card to encourage the recipient to do something equally kind – and so it continues. The only rule is to keep your act hush hush; all acts of kindness should be completed anonymously. Unfortunately this is where my first act of kindness fell apart; I gifted my favourite kind of chocolate to a colleague. The other acts I can’t talk about (it’s about being anonymous, remember). But let’s just say I have been creeping Brought to you by around the neighbourhood stuffing goodies into neighbours’ letterboxes. The Wake Up Project is an Australian initiative now posting Kindness Cards, at no charge, to New Zealand. All they ask is that you spread a little further kindness by paying-it-forward. More than 250,000 cards have been sent out – and it’s nice to think that this could have led to 250,000 acts of kindness among strangers and those who need a little lift. Givealittle is also making the world a little kinder by connecting generous Kiwis with different causes. Lynne Legros, Givealittle spokeswoman from the Spark Foundation, says the site used to be a ‘‘fairly niche way to donate’’ but Kiwis have used it to donate more than $10 million to worthy local causes in the past eight months alone. Lynne says the site’s ‘‘not just about giving money but is about love too; so many lovely messages go along with each donation’’. ‘‘Anything that encourages people to be more mindful, Kindness cards: An Australian pay it forward initiative is starting to pick up pace on this side of the Tasman. thoughtful and generous towards others is awesome,’’ she says Givealittle allows you to search by location, enabling you to find causes in your own community to support.